The Unexpected
by LoveStories101
Summary: When the 10-year old daughter of a newly elected Chinese Consul is kidnapped, the FBI is on the case. However, they didn't expect the Chinese Detective Lee Ping to get involved. As a distraction for Ping, FBI calls in the help of NYPD. They didn't expect to get MCS, the top notch. They didn't expect the big dogs. They didn't expect Goren and Eames. BA relationship in the formation.
1. The Consul

Chapter 1~ _The Consul_

Hong Kong

Celebration for Election of Consul Chen Han

Saturday, August 6

.:(0):.

"To Consul Han! May his term be one of success and benefits to his country!" a six-foot man with grey hair and mustache toasted, his voice carrying an accent from England. He raised his glass of champagne and listened to the exclamations of agreement before the table took a drink from the sparkling liquid.

"Thank you, Mr. Fergus, my friend," a small, well-dressed well-groomed Chinese man said with a smile, brushing off his suit as he looked out across the table of his friends and business partners. "I appreciate the support and patience I have received from all of you. Now, I will be off in the morning for America. My first duty as Consul in America will to dedicate and open the new Chinese culture exhibits in New York City!"

A round of applause sounded throughout the room, and Consul Han smiled before continuing.

"We will be holding the opening gala-"

The Consul stopped as a man entered the room, a man very familiar to him. With a smile, he welcomed him into the room.

"Lee!"

"Good evening, Consul," the man spoke in their native language. He stepped in to whisper in the Consul's ear. "The artifacts have been recovered, however Juntoa has escaped..." he continued grimly.

Consul Han smiled and shook his head, a happiness spreading throughout him.

"That does not matter, this is wonderful news!" he whispered excitedly before turning to the crowd. "Everyone, Detective Ping has successfully recovered and retrieved stolen ancient artifacts that will be shipped to America to be out on display!"

The room filled with applause, and the Chinese detective bowed slightly in embarrassment. He quickly left the room with a small wave and goodbye to his friend. He did not expect to see him in a long while.

Little did he know, it wasn't going to be a full three days before he saw him again...

New York City

Chinese Government Building

Monday, August 8

8:30 am

The two FBI agents approached the Chinese man in his fancy grey suit and purple patterned tie. He was speaking with his secretary in Chinese, but stopped when he saw the two men.

"Consul Han, we must speak with you in private," one agent with a balding head and a bushy brown mustache said, his face grim.

"What for?" Consul Han asked, looking between the two men.

"It's about your daughter," the other potbellied FBI agent said. The Consul didn't argue a moment more, but immediately followed the agents to his large home where multiple police cars and black vans were parked.

"Soo Wong is gone?!" Consul Han exclaimed, his heart pounding dangerously in his chest.

"Sir, she was kidnapped on the way to school. We just confirmed that with the patrol cars that discovered the scene. Your driver was shot, and your daughter was taken. But rest assured that we will do our best to find her," FBI Sargent Corey calmly explained to the panicking man.

"No! She can't be gone! I-I must make a phone call, then I will answer your questions," the Consul insisted, taking out his cell phone and dialing the number for his friend.

To the side of the room, Special Agent Corey and the agent with the bushy mustache spoke in hushed voices.

"We need to keep this under wraps before Major Case gets word of this," the agent said, shaking his head at the frantic scene before him.

"They can't do anything about it, unless he is related to the commissioner or someone...which I highly doubt," another agent said, walking up to them.

"They might find a way into this one, so keep on our toes..." Corey instructed, watching as the Consul ended his call. "Hold on."

"Special Agent Corey, a detective from Hong Kong is coming to help with the investigation-"

"No...no, no, no, no, sir. That isn't necessary. We have it under control."

"He is already on his way...I want him on this. If he can't find my daughter, no one can..." the Consul nodded, his foot down and no room for argument. Sargent Corey sighed irritably. He would have to take care of this Chinese detective some his. If he wanted to work with them, he wasn't going to allow his agents to look foolish and disgrace the FBI. He could work with another department...like the NYPD.

Corey smirked to himself. That might just work. The FBI was way out of the NYPD's league, he thought. He had confidence that FBI could solve this before NYPD, especially with this Chinese detective to slow them down.

Quickly pulling out his phone, he excused himself from the room and called the commissioner.

"This is Special Agent Corey from the FBI. I would like to request help from the NYPD...yes, sir...affirmative...very well, and thank you. I will see the detectives at 4:00 sharp...yes, good day."

With that, he hung up and smiled to himself.

If this Detective Ping was to disgrace any investigator, why not let it be the NYPD...?

.:(0):.

New York City

One Police Plaza

Monday, August 8

3:30 pm

Captain Ross looked out across his squad room, searching for a certain two detectives. They were not easy to find, the large genius and unnerving detective sat across from his small snarky partner. The two had just finished the case, so they were on desk duty for now.

He watched as the small blonde detective, whom he actually liked and respected, glanced up from her work and looked at her partner, whom he despised. The man was so eccentric and damn near crazy, but his partner seemed to tolerate him. After many many partners before her had left the big detective, she had decided to stay. For six years... He couldn't imagine being stuck with that man for six years.

Seeing that they started a conversation, he decided he might as well go tell them the news now before they got any ideas to leave. Another thing that bugged the crap out of him was the big detective's spontaneous actions, like leaving suddenly. His partner seemed to always know what he was thinking, though, so she often went along with him.

With that thought in mind, Ross left his office.

"Bobby, you don't want to meet them. I swear they are nuts," Alex said, smiling broadly at her handsome partner. Bobby smirked right back.

"Then you wouldn't want to meet my family," he said, a sadness hinting in his eyes. Alex frowned at this, suddenly feeling horribly guilty.

"I'm sorry, Bobby," she said quietly.

"No, don't be. Lewis' family is more family than I've ever had," he smiled. "Besides, there are good memories still."

Alex smiled, nodding.

"Speaking of Lewis, he has been asking about a very popular 'Detective Alex'," Bobby laughed, smirking at his beautiful blonde partner.

"Oh?" Alex laughed.

"Yes, he can go on and on in our conversations about you," he said, looking down at his file and changing the page. He wasn't about to admit that he could go on and on about her too.

"Really? And what about you?" she asked, catching him completely off guard. "You did say this was in your conversations, and it takes two to converse. Do you talk about me?" she asked innocently. Bobby shrugged, a light smirk on his lips.

"Maybe," he said, chuckling lightly when Alex frowned.

"That's not an answer, Bobby," she muttered, making him laugh. He enjoyed teasing her, but she could tease him just as well.

"Eames! Goren!" came a voice from beside their desks, and both detectives looked up.

"Captain?" Alex asked, turning in her chair to look at him.

"I would do this in my office, but you two are going to be late."

"Late for what?" Bobby asked.

"The FBI called. They want help from the NYPD to find the daughter of Consul Chen Han, newly elected. She was-"

"Wait, sir, the FBI wants us to help?" Bobby asked, unbelieving.

"Yes, that is what I said. The Consul's ten year old daughter was kidnapped on her way to school, and the driver was shot. The Consul has sent for one of his detectives to collaborate with you, so we will be running a double investigation of sorts. Now, the FBI asked for help, expecting some rookies or jackass detectives from NYPD, but they are getting the two best detectives from MCS hand picked by the commissioner. So, detective," he said, looking at Bobby, "behave and play nicely, but don't let them have it easy, ok? Show them MCS is a respectable department."

Bobby didn't bat an eye at the captain's subtle insult. Alex, however, had a spark lit inside her.

"He always does, Captain," she said firmly. "Now when do we leave, and where do we go?"

After explaining where to go and what to expect, Ross watched as the two immediately grabbed their coats and headed for the elevators. He watched as the two conversed, talking in hushed voices to the other.

"Should I go with sweet and smart detective or badass detective?" Alex asked jokingly, looking up into Bobby's deep brown eyes.

"You're both of those, Eames. But with the FBI, how about let's go with hardcore badass Major Case detective, huh?" he chuckled, holding the elevator door open for her when it went to close with another group of police.

"You got it, and you misbehave all you want ok?" she teased softly in his ear. Bobby froze at that. Damn, he thought. He wanted to misbehave with her...

Bobby had always found his partner extremely attractive from the very beginning, and for the longest time he felt a warmth in his stomach when she was near. He had grown accustomed to it, but had no idea what it was. It wasn't until Alex was taken from him by Jo Gage that he realized that feeling had always been love. He couldn't remember a time that he didn't feel a love for her. She was his everything; his best friend, his protector, his career, his well-being... What would he do without her?

"Bobby?" Alex asked after a silent walk to the parking garage.

"Huh?" he asked, leaving his thoughts of the past few years and his feelings in the back of his mind.

"You're very quiet. Is everything alright?" she said in a teasing, light manner, but he could tell she was truly concerned for him. Her humorous tone was laced with concern, and her honey-brown eyes worried for him.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" he asked, smiling genuinely at her. "We are about to show up the Feds, and I get to see my badass partner put them to shame..." he said with a wink and a grin that sent a tremor through Alex's petite body. All doubts of his well-being were washed away, and love filled her heart for Bobby.

He was the sweetest, kindest man that she had ever met. He was humble, and unbelievably smart and a damn good cop. Not to mention that he was extremely good looking, sexy, and definitely kissable.

Alex nearly laughed out loud at that thought. When had she become so mushy and a romantic? Oh yeah, since Bobby...

"Flattery won't get you anywhere, and if I find out you are lying about being alright I swear I will be on you quicker than a-" Alex started, her snarky humor playing out in her voice.

"Eames, I'm not lying. I promise," Bobby laughed, putting his hands up.

"Good," she smiled smugly, unlocking the SUV as they approached it in their usual parking spot.

"However, I might just break that promise. The punishment doesn't sound too painful," he teased her, knowing the reaction and surprise that would come from her.

Alex tried to school her features, but she was sure he could read right through her mask. Had he meant what he said? Of course he did, he was Bobby Goren. Alex's eyes widened, and her mouth opened slightly and she froze as she pulled open the door to the driver's seat.

Bobby smirked as he slid into his seat, but when Alex hesitated to get in he frowned slightly. Had she taken that seriously? Had he offended her? The only reason she would have taken it to heart, was if she had feelings for him too. Bobby's eyes widened.

Did Eames have feelings for him?

Alex took a breath before recovering and quickly getting in her seat, as if nothing had been said. Bobby was a damn good detective and profiler, Alex was sure he read her reaction accurately and was disgusted with what he found.

Falling back on her humor to pull her through, Alex put on a smile and came up with something to say back.

"Well, now all you have to do is ask. No need to break a promise," she forced a laugh, turning the ignition and putting on her seatbelt.

"I'll have to remember that, Eames," Bobby smiled, looking out his window before glancing at her. She was quicker to mask her reaction this time around, and a sweet smile was all he received. They had always flirted, always had playful banters but never had they gone so far as to coax such a strong reaction from the other.

After a drive with a relaxed conversation about the history of China—mostly done by Bobby—the two finally arrived at the address Ross had given them. Tall brick walls surrounded the lot, and only the roof of the building was barely visible. Alex swiftly pulled the black SUV into the drive but stopped at the tall iron gates. There two men in suits with the spiral cord earpieces stood. One of them had dark sunglasses on.

"How cliche..." Alex muttered. "Welcome to the land of politics and government."

Bobby laughed as he watched her pull her badge from her belt. He did the same as one of the men came to his door while the other approached Eames'.

"NYPD, Major Case. I am Detective Eames and this is my partner Detective Goren. We're here—"

"We know why you are here. You're good to go," the one near Goren said, cutting her off and staring at her through his sunglasses. The one at Eames' window brought his hand to his earpiece and spoke into it.

"Let them in."

Almost immediately the gates opened, and Alex was able to pull into the property of the Consul.

The house was more of a mansion, a small one, but a mansion all the same. It had extensive lawns, fountains, large panes windows, and gardens.

It would have been much more beautiful if there hadn't been multiple FBI vehicles cluttering the area.

"Ready?" Bobby asked as Alex parked the car and looked up at him. A smirk turned her lips, and he found himself admiring the way she looked.

"Hell yeah," she said, breaking into a grin.

Getting out of the car in unison, they were quite a sight.

They were two detectives from Major Case—the best detectives from Major Case.

They strode out in all their glory—Goren wore his expensive tasteful suit; dark grey with a white shirt and a dark blue tie. And Eames wore her slim, fitting black slacks, a white blouse, a black blazer, and black high heels. Their guns were strapped to their hips beside their badges.

The FBI had it coming.

.:(0):.

"Sir, the NYPD detectives are here."

Special Agent Corey turned to look at the agent that had reported to him, nodding and looking towards the doors to the office.

Just then a petite pretty blonde strode into the room with such confidence and authority. At her side was a tall, dark man whose presence was intimidating and he was clearly as confident as his partner.

"Agent Corey, I'm Detectove Eames and this is my partner Detective—"

"Goren," Corey interrupted, nodding. "I know who you guys are...I didn't ask for Major Case," he said, trying to hide his bitterness.

In fact, he had tried to avoid getting MCS involved. Though he would not admit it, they nearly always showed up the FBI.

"You asked for help from the NYPD on a very high-class case. Who did you think the Commissioner would send?" Bobby asked, putting his hands in his pants pockets.

"Actually, I didn't ask for the help. Detective Ping from Hong Kong did," Corey smiled wryly, making Bobby frown in thoughtfulness.

"That isn't what we were told," he challenged, drawing himself to his full height and staring the FBI agent down.

"Well, you must have been misinformed. Detective Ping needs your help solving the case while we work to do the same," Corey answered bitterly.

"Agent Corey, my partner and I were called in to help find a poor little girl who witnessed the murder of her escort and was then taken by the murderer. This isn't just a case to us..." Alex spoke heatedly, glaring at the man.

"And I am sure Detective Ping would agree," Bobby finished for her, standing tall beside her.

Corey glared at the two detectives and shook his head before leaving them to go talk the Consul.

"What a warm welcoming," Alex muttered under her breath. Bobby smirked at her, and signaled with his eyes that he was going to have a look around. She nodded and approached the Consul while he began to wander.

"Consul Han," she spoke politely, taking out her notebook and pen.

The Consul turned his gaze from Corey to a beautiful blonde woman. He looked her over, not quite sure what to think. A woman detective wasn't common, and judging by the badge she wore that is exactly what she was.

To his embarrassment, the first thing he noticed was her outfit. The first few buttons of her white blouse were left unbuttoned. The only reason he noticed was because the women in his country usually wore their collars high and kept their blouses done up. This was a new experience, and ashamedly he realized he enjoyed it.

"Detective?" he asked, looking into the woman's eyes. She didn't even blink, she wasn't intimidated by him like most people. This made him like her even more. She is a good woman, he decided.

"I am Detective Eames from Major Case, NYPD," she said, not even glancing at Agent Corey standing to the side of them. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

Consul Han opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by Corey.

"The detectives are here to help solve the case," he explained, nodding over at Goren as he said it.

"We are here to find your daughter," she amended, sympathetically looking at the Chinese man.

"Thank you, Detective Eames. My friend Detective Lee Ping will be here within the hour from Hong Kong. I contacted him this morning. He is my daughter's master in the fine arts," he explained. He then looked up from Alex's face and looked behind her. She felt Bobby come up behind her, and stand to the side.

"Consul Han, you are an important man and that may be the reason for your daughter's kidnapping. We need to always be near a phone line in case the kidnapper tries to make contact. If this does happen, we need you to keep him on the line for as long as possible in order for the FBI to track the call," Alex continued, regaining the Consul's attention.

"Yes, I've been informed of what to do if that situation should arise," he said, nodding.

"Do you have any idea who would do this?" Bobby suddenly asked, his eyes fixed on the window that faced the gates. A man was waiting outside the tall iron gates, and the two security guards were not letting him in. The man was Chinese, he wore a black suit, and he looked very upset.

Alex looked up at Bobby, and followed his gaze. The security guards pushed the man away again, and finally he left. Only then did Alex and Bobby see that the man must have gone around the brick wall because he appeared on top of it just out of the security guards' line of sight.

"No, I am a peaceful man, Detective," the Consul answered, watching in confusion as the two detectives before him looked past him. They were both being distracted by something. Corey squinted his eyes at them.

Alex and Bobby watched as the man ran in a crouched position on the wall, nearly out of sight.

Simultaneously, Bobby and Alex both leaned slightly to the right to see where the man was headed. Corey then turned around to see what they were looking at.

"And...have you been threatened in any way since your election?" Alex asked, bringing her attention back to Consul Han. Beside her, Bobby brushed her arm and he quickly disappeared from her side.

"The first major event on my agenda is the opening of the Chinese culture museum, and the artifacts, only recently recovered, had been stolen. That wasn't even really a threat, it was just a misfortune in time of my election..."

"No, Consul, it was very helpful," Alex said, writing notes down.

Maybe there was a string attached to that sabotage of the museum opening...but maybe there wasn't. Alex sighed inwardly, they were not going to recover much here.

Suddenly a crash sounded from a room a couple doors down from the office they all stood in, and everyone was suddenly alert. Everyone jumped into action, and many started towards the room. Her mind turning to Bobby, Alex joined them and jogged towards the room. Inside, a Chinese man stood in the center of the room with his hands up and a gun with the magazine discarded hung from his finger.

Three FBI agents lay on the ground unconscious, and now there were at least seven guns fixed on the man. To her dismay, Bobby stood just to the left of him, maybe two steps behind.

"Put down your guns," she ordered, pushing her way past the armed agents. The Consul followed in her wake, his eyes wide.

"Don't shoot! Put your weapons away!" he said frantically, waving his hands at the agents.

Alex ran up to Bobby, a concern evident in her brown eyes.

Agent Corey plowed his way to the front, looking between the four people in the center of the room.

"Agent Corey, please meet Detective Lee Ping," the Consul said.

Everyone stared at the new man, who had now dropped his hands and tossed the gun on the couch.

"Thank you," Lee Ping said, turning to Bobby,"for opening the window and letting me in."

Bobby nodded before glancing at Alex. The look told her that she should recognize the man. Suddenly she did, he was the one that climbed the brick wall after being pushed away.

"You could have came through the front, my friend," the Consul said, a hand on Lee's shoulder. Lee smiled wryly, glancing at the FBI agents.

"It is less fun that way," he shrugged, still breathing heavily after taking out the three agents.

"Come, my friend, we must find Soo Wong. These two detectives will aid you in finding her," the Consul said, leading Lee out of the room with Alex and Bobby behind them.

As they passed Agent Corey, Alex glared at the man and Bobby paused, looking down at him.

"Agent Corey, I don't want the FBI infringing our investigation again."

"Detective Goren—"

"If," Bobby cut Corey off,"you or any of your agents do anything to jeopardize the possibility of finding this girl..." he said quietly, pointing a finger in Corey's face and trailing off as he threatened him. With that, Bobby followed Alex out the door.

.:(0):.

In the Consul's office, the FBI and Eames and Goren debriefed Lee Ping of the situation and knowledge they had.

"Consul," Lee started, deep in though as he leaned against the desk with his arms folded. "There is one person that may be behind this..." he trailed off, not continuing.

"Who might that be, Detective Ping?" Alex asked from her chair in front of the desk, where she had been beginning to build a case file.

"A criminal I recently comprehended, but escaped," Lee answered.

"The artifact thief," Bobby stated, watching and studying Lee.

"Yes, Detective. His name is Juntoa. He used to be a respected police man. He also favors bombs, that was his specialty in the force," Lee answered. Bobby began pacing as he soaked in the information, his mind working and turning over the info.

Alex watched him pace, her own mind sorting through everything. Finally, Bobby glanced at her, his eyes lit with an idea. She could practically see the lightbulb to off.

It was then that a high pitched trill filled the room. I rang throughout the room, echoing a second time. All eyes turned to screaming telephone.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed this. I would love to know what you guys think. Is it good enough to continue? Should I keep writing this? I am still working on Internal Affairs as well, I haven't abandoned that. Just so you know this is set in season six, after the Jo Gage incident.**

 **~Love**


	2. Destruction

**A/N: I hope you all liked this, I am so excited right now that my brain is in a good writing mode. As of late it's been easy to write for my two Criminal Intent stories. *Knock on wood* So I will keep updating as much as I can, and I hope you like what I write. Here's Chapter 2.**

Chapter 2~ _Destruction_

 _All eyes turned to the screaming phone._

Agent Corey practically ran into the room, not having been present for the information about Juntoa.

Everyone that had been sitting, jumped from their seats and leaped into motion. The office was once again a busy bee's hive.

"Consul," Corey said, gesturing towards the phone as he put earphones to his ears to listen to the call.

A third ring filled the room, somehow sounding over the chatter that whipped through the room.

Alex looked to her left at the small Chinese man, whom had one hand reaching out but he didn't move towards the phone. She glanced towards the phone and back to the Consul. She began to get nervous, the longer he waited the more dangerous the situation became.

"Consul," she pressed, watching the man nearly have a mental breakdown.

Suddenly out of no where, a large hand scooped up the phone just before the fourth ring. Many FBI agents reached to stop the hand from taking the phone, but were unable to.

Bobby swiftly brought the telephone to his ear.

"Hello?" he answered, casually sitting on the corner of the desk right in front of Alex. He ignored her slight glare she was giving him, and attentively listened for the caller's voice.

"If you want to ever see the girl again alive, then you will get me 50 million dollars tonight. 50% of the sum in 100 dollar bills, 25% in 50, and 25% in 20," the voice said lazily.

Bobby's eyes swept across the silent room. The Consul was nodding vigorously.

"Where and when do you want it?" Bobby asked, glancing at Corey who nodded.

"Contact will be made, and instructions will be given. The girl's life depends on you following those orders..."

"How do I know she is still alive?"

Bobby's face was impassive, but Alex saw the shift in his features as a small distressed voice came from the other end of the phone. Discreetly and to her total surprise, she reached out and barely touched his knee, giving him one stroke of a finger before retracting.

"Is that good enough for you?" the voice asked with a calmness and casualness that sickened Alex.

"Do not hurt a hair on her head, or else you will not get your money," Bobby said forcefully, his temper building up.

"We will be in touch. Make sure you have the money at hand, you don't want to find the girl's drained, cold corpse, now would you?" the man on the other end said, and Bobby could hear the smile in his voice.

The click sound let him know that the line went dead.

His anger spilled over, and he couldn't hold it in as well as he would have like to.

Slamming the phone down on its cradle, Bobby looked up at Corey.

"Did you get a location?" he asked gruffly.

"Ya, the new bank going up on 4th," Corey said, signaling his agents to go prepare a S.W.A.T. team.

"Let's go, Eames," he said, both of them following the agents out.

As the large group of law enforcement walked down the stone stairs of the front porch, they all spilt up heading to their cars.

"The vans and the team will meet us there, surround the building and make sure you have your vests," Agent Corey ordered before everyone got in their cars.

Alex quickly climbed into the SUV, starting it as Bobby climbed into the passenger seat.

"The Consul couldn't even bring himself to talk to his daughter's kidnapper. She's not even my girl, and I wanted to give him a few choice words," Alex muttered under her breath as she urged the SUV to move, but slammed on the break when a FBI vehicle cut her off. "Damn it!"

Bobby could tell she was frustrated, he would have to tread lightly.

"He was scared, and careful here comes another car," he said softly, looking in the mirror.

"I can see that," she snarked, her mood taking a turn for the worst.

When she saw his face though, she felt guilty and that only made her feel worse.

"Sorry," she muttered, watching the string of cars trying to exit the drive. Bobby smiled lightly, opening his mouth to reply.

Suddenly the door behind Bobby was yanked open and slammed shut as someone jumped in. Looking back in surprise with their hands on their weapons, Alex and Bobby found themselves looking at Detective Lee Ping. He nodded once at them in greeting.

"Detectives," he said, looking from one to the other. "I hope you do not mind."

Bobby shook his head, and Alex turned her attention back to driving—or rather trying to get into the stream of driving cars.

She saw a small gap in the slowing stream, and quickly pulled in front of the FBI van. The driver emitted a long horn.

"Sorry," she apologized, looking back at the Chinese detective in the rear view mirror.

Lee was slightly surprised at the woman's driving, suddenly fearing his life as they took to the roads. Her first impression for her driving skills was not very comforting.

Bobby seemed to read this on the detective's face, that or Lee thought the large detective could read his mind.

"Believe it or not, she is the best driver," he smiled.

"Shut up," she smirked, glancing sideways at her partner as she eased into her normal driving habits. She was going as fast as she could though, for they had left later than most of the other cars and they didn't want to miss anything.

"Eames," Bobby suddenly said as something dawned on him.

"Yeah?" she asked, signaling and changing lanes. Bobby made eye contact with Lee in the rear view mirror.

"Juntoa was a bomb tech?" Bobby asked him, wanting to check his reason for worry.

Their mind reading and connection was as strong as ever, and it barely took Alex the time it did for him to ask before she knew what he was thinking.

"Oh," she breathed. She looked at Bobby with worried eyes. Who would they call? They didn't have Agent Corey's contact, and the headquarters of the bureau wouldn't contact them in time.

She put the pedal to the metal, and quickly turned onto 4th street. Lee hung onto the seats for his life. Americans were crazy drivers.

It didn't take long before Alex and Bobby ran towards the van with the equipment set up outside of it. There stood Agent Corey with his ear piece on, watching the video feed. Lee suddenly sprinted towards him, and started to speak animatedly with him.

"Call it off! Get the men out! Danger!" he spoke so quickly he could barely get some words in. Corey just looked confusedly at the man like he was inferior and stupid.

"Listen, we have a team of ten men in there. They are the best, and will confront the caller if he is still there," Corey said calmly.

"Agent Corey, get them out of there now," she spoke with demanding authority. Corey stared at her.

"Detective Eames, this is our operation—"

"Damn it! Listen to her," Bobby said angrily, regarding the building cautiously.

"Detectives, it isn't your place—"

"This isn't about anyone's damn place. Get your men the hell out of there, this is about their safety," Alex insisted, her eyes narrowed in hatred for the man before her. Suddenly, the video caught her attention. They were on the top floor, in an empty half built room with a single table in the center. On the surface of the table a telephone was placed, it's coils trailing over the side of the table and towards the walls.

"It's too late," Lee muttered, facing away and storming off.

Alex and Bobby glanced at each other. They knew Lee was right. Juntoa had the FBI right where he wanted them.

Sweat beading on his forehead, Corey began to get an anxious feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Why would a man wanting 50 million dollars want to hide away in there?" Bobby asked Corey, gesturing at the tall building. Staring at the building, Corey finally caved and quickly grabbed his communicator.

"Abort! I repeat abort. Evacuate—"

Before the order was even out of his mouth, an extremely loud boom filled the air. Instinctively, Bobby wrapped his arms around Alex and covered her body with his as others took cover. The explosion shook the ground and fire billowed out of the top floor windows.

Agent Corey stared at the flaming building as alarms began to go off and people began frantically moving into motion. Alex slowly peeked out from Bobby's embrace, letting herself unfold from his arms and coat.

Looking down at her to make sure she was alright, Bobby saw the fire reflecting in her brown eyes. He suddenly remembered he was holding her, and reluctantly let her go.

Slowly, he turned to look at the stricken FBI agent. Corey was horrified, but Bobby was angry.

"You shouldn't have let your damn prejudicial opinion get in the way. Ten men are dead now because of it. How does that make you feel?" Bobby asked calmly with his head tilted, though his anger radiated off of him.

"Bobby!" Alex called him off, grabbing his coat sleeve. She stepped forward in front of Bobby.

"I'm sorry for the tragedy, Agent Corey," she said in soft consolation. The man didn't move, he was frozen in horror at the sight. "You couldn't have known this before, it isn't anyone's fault."

Corey finally nodded slightly.

"None the less, I should have listened to you three..." he said sulkily.

"Agent Corey, continue your investigation and we will continue ours," Alex said, looking at Bobby and then at the retreating Chinese detective.

"Separately...I think that would be best..." Corey said, nodding to himself. Alex opened her mouth to reply, but the FBI agent beat her to it. "If we come at them from two different angles maybe we can corner them..."

"Agreed. Excuse me," she said, dismissing herself from the agent's presence.

Before she took more than two steps away from the man, Corey's phone suddenly rang. A feeling in her gut forced her to stop in her tracks and listen.

Bobby saw the same red flags, and with his incredibly long strides he quickly made his way to Eames' side.

"How did you get this number?" an alarmed Agent Corey said gruffly, signaling to his team.

"Bring the money to Lotus' Tea Shop at 8:00 pm. Do not be late. And your deliverer better be alone..." the arrogant voice of the perpetrator came on a sigh.

The call ended, leaving a dead silence on the other end of the line.

"Dammit! Did you get anything?" Corey asked his team hopefully. Each of his techs shook their head in disappointment.

"That is probably best," Bobby muttered to Alex. With a raised brow, she looked up at her tall handsome friend. "That was just a warning," he explained, "a demonstration of what he can do..."

Alex nodded. He was right.

"I will make the drop tonight," Lee suddenly announced, coming from the car with his cell phone still out. "I just got off the phone with Consul Han. He decided I would go."

Alex began shaking her head, her blonde hair cascading around her beautiful face. Lee could see why the large detective was so attracted to her, he suddenly thought.

"Not without backup," she said, grabbing Bobby's arm and pulling him closer to them. "We will be staked out just outside the tea shop in an unmarked vehicle."

"Thank you," he said, bowing slightly to her and then Bobby. "However, Detective Eames, I do not feel comfortable having such a nice, beautiful woman in danger on my behalf."

A twinge of anger flickered in Alex, and she glanced at Bobby. That idiot had a smirk on his lips and a chuckle ready to escape.

"Well I'm afraid that isn't your decision..." she said politely. Bobby couldn't hold it in any longer and a chuckle escaped. Her eyes turned to him and she glared at him playfully, the corner of her mouth turned up invitingly. "Watch it, Goren. You're the one that will be stuck with me in the car."

Bobby's stomach fluttered at the idea, and a smug grin turned up his lips.

"Lucky me."

 **A/N Sorry I haven't updated in forever, both on this one and Internal Affairs. These past four weeks were tournament time for basketball. So I've been very focused on basketball. We took first in districts and divisionals, but fourth in state. We had a great season with just two losses, but now it's over and I am back to writing! So updates can be expected sooner. Anyway, I hope you like this and please review to let me know what you think!**


	3. Feeling the Heat

Chapter 3~ _Feeling the Heat_

New York City

Lotus' Tea Shop, China Town

Monday, August 8

7:45 pm

.:(0):.

Alex pulled her coat closer around her body, wishing that she could turn the damn seat warmers on but the stakeout was already a go. The car was surrounded by darkness, parked in the only dark corner in practically all of China Town. But they did have a perfect view of the tea shop through its front windows.

"Wish we could have gotten some tea or something warm," Bobby grumbled, his hands in his pockets and a scarf around his neck. Alex had laughed about that. He never wore a scarf—he could hardly stand ties—yet he wore a large grey one that she had gotten him for an especially cold stakeout a while back that happened to fall on his birthday. She couldn't convince the idiot to take the day off, not during a case. And certainly not when the only person he would truly want to spend the special day with was at work sitting all alone in a car, or even worse with another man as a temporary partner.

"Mmm...hot chocolate...or a coffee with lots of sugar and cream..." Alex let out a groan as she thought about the hot drinks that she was currently being deprived of. Bobby looked over at his partner with a teasing glare, the glint in his eyes tattling on him.

"Not helping, Eames," he said, shaking his head.

"I wish there was a way to warm the car more," she grouched, although a smile slipped onto her beautiful face as she met his dark eyes. Bobby smirked a smug little smile at his partner.

"Well...there is one way," he said, wagging his brows. Alex's brows raised a bit, but then she burst out laughing. What Bobby didn't realize is that she was actually considering jumping him right then and there after his suggestion, but what she didn't realize was that Bobby actually meant what he had said.

"Do you want my scarf though?" he asked a little more seriously.

"No, you wear it...it looks good on you," Alex answered softly, looking down in slight embarrassment. Shyly, and highly unlike herself, she added,"Better than good, actually."

Bobby smiled at her compliment, and he adored the look of shy embarrassment she offered him. She looked so cute...and at the same time unbelievably sexy. However, Bobby realized that she looked extremely attractive all of the time.

Hesitantly, and with the nerves of a schoolboy, Bobby reached a hand out and rested it on her knee. She didn't flinch at all when he touched her, and a warm feeling swelled in his stomach.

He could cover the entire span of her leg with his palm, he made the odd observation with a small smile.

Looking up into her eyes, he saw a warm sweet smile that sent a shock of heat throughout his body. The car didn't seem so cold any longer.

He loved that smile, and those eyes...and this woman. He had for a long time now, and for the first time he was starting to believe she had reserved feelings for him as well.

"You know what?" she suddenly said, not breaking eye contact. A crooked smile appeared on Bobby's face.

"What?"

"After this case, we are taking a few days off. Both of us," she declared, covering his large warm hand with her small one. "We can get together, and spend quality time with each other..."she said slowly, watching as a look clouded Bobby's eyes. She watched the intensity grow inside of the dark pools of chocolate. It made her voice quieter and softer. "...get to know each other even better..."

Bobby wanted to kiss her right then and there, not only that but he wanted to touch her and show her how he felt. He didn't want to scare her away with his intensity though, so he softened his look with a loving smile that touched Alex's heart and affected her in a way that he was very familiar with. He couldn't find his voice at the moment so he nodded his agreement to her declaration.

Without much thought, Bobby began to gently caress Alex's leg with his thumb, creating small circles. Alex sighed softly at the sensation that flowed through from his circles of caresses. Her body relaxed completely beneath the ministrations of his careful, loving hands.

Alex sighed inwardly. How she wanted more of his touch...

Bobby suddenly felt Alex's leg move, turning outward and allowing his hand to caress the inside of her thigh. He was surprised. Not because she had done that, but because he had been expecting her to do that. He had known somehow...what had happened to the nervous, self-conscious Bobby?

Slowly, Bobby's circles got larger in diameter and more pressure was applied. He heard the sigh that left Alex's lips, and a feeling of pride and love overcame him.

Suddenly Alex gasped, and her muscles became tense.

"Bobby!" she said on a gasp, sitting up straight and looking at the tea shop. All he could think about was the way his name sounded when spoken by her so breathlessly. It took him a moment to regain his ability to think properly, and when he was able to he looked to the shop. Lee was gone from his seat in the window.

"Shit!" he exclaimed, shoving the car door open and taking his gun from its holster. Alex followed, jogging slightly from her side of the car and around the front to stand by him.

"He just barely went up the stairs. When I glanced over there, he was at the bottom," Alex explained. Bobby nodded, leading the way across the street with his gun draw and ready. A window breaking from the floor above them urged them to go even faster, bursting into the shop and booking it up the stairs, ignoring the shouts and screams from civilians at the sight of guns.

"Everyone out," Eames ordered before racing after Bobby up the full set of stairs. Punches colliding with bodies could be heard from around the corner, and then suddenly a chair or a table sounded against the wall, splintering.

Bobby looked down at his small partner, feeling a wave of protectiveness overcome him. He mentally kicked himself. This was their job, everyday they were in danger and Eames could take care of herself.

With merely a fleeting look at each other, they rounded the corner with their guns drawn. Alex quickly pulled her backup from her slacks and tossed it to Lee, whom had been let go in the mobsters' surprise.

The Chinese detective quickly trained his gun on the man nearest him.

"Cheese!" he said, mixing his Chinese tongue with English. Everyone's eyes turned to him. Goren didn't react, he was too focused on the mobsters. But Eames raised a brow at this. It seemed nobody knew what to think.

Had the circumstances been different, Alex knew she would have burst out laughing.

"I mean freeze!" Lee amended, sweat glistening on his forehead.

"Drop your weapons and get on your knees," Alex ordered, quickly slipping into her bad cop routine. The one that nearly always managed to turn Bobby on.

There were five mobsters, and three cops. They were outnumbered, but two of the five didn't have their guns on them.

"Now!" Bobby shouted loudly, stepping one step closer.

Only a trained eye could have spotted and recognized the glint of a scope and the nose of the barrel of a sniper. Bobby acted quickly, taking a shot at the building across the street through the open window that let in the sounds of bustling China Town.

Immediately after, he dropped just in time to dodge the bullet of the Chinese man with his gun trained on the big detective. Alex shot the man that attempted to shoot her partner, and Lee shot the man zoned on her.

A gunfight broke out, Bobby shooting the last gunman in the arm before he was grabbed by one of the remaining men. He punched one in the gut, but the other tackled him back to the ground.

Seeing her partner in trouble, Alex shot one in the leg that weaved a knife and had a bloody lip and she kicked the other off of Bobby. Bobby quickly got up, facing Alex who had her back to the doorway covered in flowing red curtains. From behind the curtains he saw the silhouettes of five more men. Quickly, he pushed Eames backwards towards the side of the doorway while he hid behind the other side against the wall.

As the first two men entered, Lee took them out with his martial art techniques and Bobby and Alex knocked the next two out. But the last one rushed in with two guns and an arrogant look on his face.

"Juntoa," Lee sneered, wiping the sweat from his face.

Juntoa was a small man, about 5'4, and he didn't have the natural black hair of a Chinese man. It was dyed bleach blonde and buzzed short, a tattoo covering his neck in the shape of a dragon.

His right eye had a pale white scar starting from his brow and ending at his cheek bone.

"Lee, it seems you keep finding me..." he laughed, waving his guns at him and the two Americans.

"This time you won't get away," Lee spat, his hands up for combat.

"Put your guns down," Alex finally spoke, drawing Juntoa's gun towards her. Bobby felt a slight panic rise inside of him and stepped forward.

"Stay there, big man, or I'll shoot your partner," Juntoa said, distractedly looking at a scuff in his nice leather boots. "Let me make this clear quickly...a bomb is ticking in the oven downstairs with enough powder to take out the building and everyone in it. If either one if you attempts to follow me, no one gets out alive. You get me?"

Reluctantly everyone in the room nodded, but they didn't lower their guns.

"Juntoa, the FBI is waiting just down the street," Alex suddenly said, reaching for the radio in her pocket.

"Don't..." Juntoa said, smirking wryly at her,"say anything that will get anyone killed."

Bobby glanced at Alex. Juntoa had a remote to the bomb, he could set it off whenever he liked. They weren't going to get out of this alive.

"Good bye, detectives," Juntoa smiled wryly, backing out the door and through the curtains before disappearing out a window onto the roof of the building next to him.

"Eames, get out! Get out now!" Bobby urged, shoving her towards the stairs. Lee was right behind them as they took the stairs two by two, quite a feat for little Alex. They ran as quickly as they could down the stairs, relieved to see the customers had evacuated the building. Voices could be heard in the kitchen, however, and Alex veered to the right and burst into the food preparation room.

"Eames!" Bobby yelled, but he followed her without hesitation.

Multiple Chinese young women stood with round, pretty, but very surprised pale faces.

"Bomb! Everyone out. Now!" Alex ordered firmly, herding the young women towards the kitchen exit into the dark alley. Bobby heard the first sign of the bomb, it had been activated. With more force now, he pushed the women, including Alex, out the door.

The young women ran down the alley, tears streaming down their faces and sobs escaping their mouths.

Alex wanted to make sure every one of the girls were out as the chefs followed Lee, but Bobby pushed her away from the door, urging her to run. Seeing the wild look in his eyes, she complied and they had barely taken three steps before a wave of heat hit them and a sound flung them to the ground as the air went up in flames.

Bobby quickly pulled Alex to him, covering her with as much of his body as he could without smashing her.

"Eames?" he asked, and he looked down to see her eyes closed and a small cut running down her temple. "Eames?!"

"Detective Eames?" A voice scratched across the radio holstered to Alex's hip. "Detective Eames, what the hell is happening? Detective Eames!"

Bobby fumbled with the clip on Eames' pants, but he finally got it off and put it to his mouth.

"Agent Corey, this is Detective Goren. We need a bus down here now," he said looking around, a few of the girls and chefs had minor burns and scratches, but his partner he was most worried about. A few seconds went by before an answer came across.

"Detective, the medics are on their way. What the hell happened?" Corey yelled into the radio.

"He planted a bomb—Eames!" Bobby stopped as his partner stirred, eyes flashing open. Quickly she sat up, her hand against Bobby's chest, and she looked at the fire then to his eyes.

"Oh my God, Bobby. Are you ok?" she asked breathlessly, her eyes fluttering slightly as a headache began.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Bobby answered, nodding vigorously. He cupped her cheek with his warm hand, stroking the side of her head. "What about you?"

Alex leaned into his touch, a smile surfacing on her face.

"I'm fine, just got a small headache."

The sirens first alerted them of the medics' arrival. Refocusing on the job at hand, Bobby stood up and took Eames' hand to help her up. At first, she was dizzy and leaned heavily on him.

"Eames—"

"I'm fine, I just got up too fast after that," she said, waving it off as she regained her balance and supported herself on her own two feet. Suddenly, and with much protest from Alex, an MT rushed her to a bus.

Lee approached the large detective cautiously.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, his head down. "No one should have gotten hurt."

"No one was killed, that's what matters...and the money wasn't in the bag we sent you in with. That was the FBI's doing, but now..." Bobby stopped, not quite sure why it was so easy for him to share his hunches with this man. Maybe it was because Lee was also an outsider, a misfit, in most people's eyes.

"Now what?" Lee asked, valuing Bobby's opinion.

"More will be demanded..."

"Han will pay anything for his little girl. He wants her back, and so do I...I am her mentor, and I love her like a niece..." Lee said somberly.

Bobby nodded, his hands and his pockets and his eyes glazed over as he stared at nothing.

The next hour, the medics attended to and dressed the victims of the explosion. And when Ross pulled up in his black SUV, Bobby could tell a storm was brewing. A glance at Lee told him that he was thinking the same thing.

.:(0):.

New York City

One Police Plaza

Tuesday, August 9

9:00 am

Alex exited the elevator on the 11th floor, carrying her black overcoat over her arm. She was feeling much better after a good night's sleep and a refreshening shower.

Alex always strived to look good, even while having to follow a practically male dress code for a typically male job. However, after yesterday's events she found herself trying even harder to dress nice for a certain someone.

Last night she had escaped the events without a concussion and merely a tiny scratch easily concealed by makeup. The worst injury was the bruise on the back of her head, which was slightly tender.

She was cleared to work by the MTs and she had a familiar yearning for her partner to be near her, putting an urgency in her step.

Bobby heard the staccato rhythm of heels entering the squad room, and he immediately looked up. His gaze met a beautiful sight, and he smiled at the familiar beauty he had become accustomed to seeing.

Alex's hair was tucked behind her right ear, a diamond stud twinkling at him. She wore a navy blue blouse with the top three buttons undone. Bobby tried not to stare at the valley between her perfect breasts. Quickly, he moved onto the next piece of clothing to inspect. Her grey slacks fit tightly around her behind, as always and he had been noticing this for years. Her perfectly shaped, toned legs were defined and her curves were inviting his touch. She was raised a couple inches by grey high heels. He never knew why she wore those uncomfortable things, but damn was she graceful in those. She could chase a suspect in them if she had to and still outrun Bobby.

"Bobby," she smiled, putting her coat on the back of her chair. She then noticed the delicious aroma of coffee and pastries, and her stomach rumbled softly. Sitting down in her chair, she smiled graciously at her handsome partner in his dark grey suit. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Bobby answered, a genuine smile on his lips, which wasn't easy considering the Captain had yet to lecture the two of them. Alex had barely taken a bite from her strawberry pastry when the Captain's office door swung open, and Agent Corey stepped out. The man nodded at Ross before leaving in a huff.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she asked in a low voice, ducking her head in a conspiring way.

"He's been here since I came in. I'm sure he is complaining about us," he answered, shaking his head. Alex rolled her eyes.

"Great..."

"Eames, you and your partner in my office now!" came a loud voice.

Simultaneously, Goren and Eames stood from their desks and walked towards the Captain's office with confidence.

As the last one entered the room, Ross closed his door and stalked around his desk.

"Well, FBI is trying to pin this on us. You two are damn good detectives, and it most definitely was not you guys. However, an agreement was made that you two are valuable to this case and finding the girl. In order to appease the Feds' spoiled superiors, Inspector Lee Ping will be going back to Hong Kong. Your two, however will treat this as your top priority. Am I understood?" Ross asked, his hands on his hips.

"Yes, sir," Eames answered. "We both do."

"Good. You two are good to go, but if another explosion occurs I won't be able to deal with Moran," Ross said, waving them away. Without another word, the two detectives left the office.

"What the hell do we do next?" Alex asked, her arms swinging angrily at her sides and she strutted back to their desks. Bobby lagged behind just to enjoy the scenery.

"We continue our investigation, but we won't be able to get close to the Consul. Not without Lee, and we also will need Lee to translate. We need him, Eames," Goren sighed, straightening his tie before he grabbed his coat and began towards the elevators.

Alex looked up in confusion, her eye brows knitted together.

"Bobby?" she asked, but didn't receive an answer. Watching him walk to the elevators, Alex contemplated what he was doing. With a sigh, she realized what he was doing. Snatching her coat off the back of her chair, Alex chased after her partner.

"Which flight?" she asked, watching as Bobby checked his phone. He had called in a favor.

"431, Gate E. Leaves at 10:30," he answered, tapping his foot as the elevator descended to the parking garage.

"Let's hurry then."

 **A/N Pretty happy about this chapter, and I hoped it pleased you guys. Thanks for the reviews so far, they make my day and make me want to write even more. Keep giving me your input! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


	4. Undercover, Under Wraps

Chapter 4~ _Undercover,_ _Under Wraps_

New York

JFK Airport

Tuesday, August 9

10:25 am

Lee leaned back in his seat on the air plane, sighing sadly as he looked out the window and thought about Soo Wong. Would they ever find her? What was he going to do if he couldn't help search for her?

Suddenly, a commotion sounded from the front of the plane. Lee looked up to see people standing and blocking the way of the source of excitement.

"Hey, man, what the hell you doing? My seat is up there," a bearded man grouched angrily to the front of the plane.

"Sit down," a female voice ordered demandingly, definitely not a flight attendant.

"I can't you are in my way," the man shouted, moving his hands animatedly.

"Sit down before I throw you off the plane," the woman answered, and Lee could see the glint of a badge through the people. Once the man finally complied, he saw the face of Detective Eames and Goren was just behind her.

"Detective Lee," Alex said, walking towards him and stopping at his side. "We need you to come with us. We know how important Soo Wong is to you, and we want your help finding her. The FBI wants nothing to do with us, so we will work completely alone."

"We believe you give us a better chance of finding her," Bobby added.

Looking from one face to the other, Lee slowly nodded.

"I would like to help your investigation and in finding Soo Wong."

.:(0):.

Alex drove in the opposite direction of the airport, leaving it in the rearview mirror. Bobby looked to his left at the beautiful women beside him, and he smiled when she glanced at him. Alex smiled back and without much thought, she reached her hand across the console and covered his that rested on his knee.

Lee was in the back seat, on the phone with the Consul. He was pulling information from his friend, anything that would give them a lead.

"Detectives, Consul Han has informed me that the British Ambassador, a friend of his has arrived to support him in this time of grief. Ambassador Fergus encourages him to continue with the opening of the Chinese Museum exhibits," Lee said, but then his face became even grimmer. "Another call was made. The ransom is now 70 million dollars. It is to be retrieved from the control room on the second level at the opening gala."

Alex listened carefully, her brows furrowing. They were going to the gala, and she didn't have a damn dress to wear. Her sister might though.

"Alright. So we each leave to get ready and regroup at 6:30?" Alex asked, lightly stroking Bobby's hand as his palm turned up to encase hers.

"Sounds good," Bobby answered. "Got to dig out my tux that I save for those rare Commissioner's Balls, huh?"

Alex smirked, looking ahead at the road.

"Mmm...I like that one," she chuckled lightly, hearing Bobby's laugh after hers.

From between Alex and Bobby, a hand reached forward and turned up the radio.

"Hope you don't mind," he said, sitting back. Alex and Bobby shared a glance, but shook their heads. They didn't usually turn up the radio, but they didn't mind. That was, until Lee started to sing along. Alex couldn't get to his hotel soon enough, and soon she dropped off Bobby and headed for her own apartment.

.:(0):.

New York City

Museum of Chinese Culture

Tuesday, August 9

6:30 pm

A blonde woman in a flowing navy blue dress stepped elegantly out of a sleek black SUV, her silver heels tapping against the concrete. She was a small woman, with tan skin and a fair complexion. She was hard not to notice. Her curves were distinct beneath the soft, thin fabric of her gown. The dress' neckline plummeted, ending in the center of her cleavage, her perfect breasts playing peak-a-boo. The back was just as revealing, allowing her strong, toned muscles in her back and arms to show. She was a strong, muscled woman, yet balanced perfectly with femininity.

A perfect equation for natural beauty. Every man she passed found it impossible not to stare.

Without even a glance at the men around her, she sauntered into the large magnificent building. Her heels tapping against the marble floor, she stopped to look over the balcony between the two grand staircases.

With pursed lips, she watched quietly as the guests flowed in. Women in flattering gowns and men in glamorous tuxedos entered in a herd of upperclass people. Tonight she was a part of them.

And she is the most beautiful of all, a man thought to himself. With a charming smile, the tall, handsome man approached the woman he had eyes for.

Neither looked at the other as they stood side by side. Familiarity surrounded them, and a chemistry so thick it could be cut with a knife materialized between them.

"Eames," the man spoke softly into her ear, having to tilt his head down to her size. The woman's full lips quirked into a crooked smile, and she turned to meet his hypnotic dark eyes.

"Bobby," she answered, wittily throwing a flirtatious smile at him.

Bobby laughed at Alex, boldly fingering a strand of her soft blonde hair.

"You look beautiful," he complimented her, his eyes doing another once over of his partner's body in the gown that she made appear so flattering and gorgeous.

"You look pretty fine yourself," she smirked, straightening his bow tie and flicking his crisp collar. Damn it, he wanted to kiss that smug smirk right off her face.

Alex was surprised by the sudden flood of emotion and intensity in those dark brown eyes of her handsome counterpart. A feeling began to bubble inside the pit of her stomach, and a nervous yet exciting tingle was sent throughout her body.

Damn. All this man had to do was look at her, and she could barely contain herself.

And then, his bold acts surprised him again. Before Bobby knew what he was doing, his large hand found hers where she leaned forward on the railing of the balcony.

He heard Alex's sharp intake of breath, and he looked into her beautiful face. She was looking down at his hand, watching as he slowly wrapped his fingers around her wrist. He could feel her pulse quicken beneath his fingers.

Painfully slow, he slipped his hand up her arm, barely brushing her soft skin. He felt a shiver go through Alex's body, and he watched as her eyes closed momentarily.

His hand continued up her arm, and over her shoulder where he brushed her hair over her back. His hands left trails of fire in their wake, causing Alex to overheat. What was this man doing to her? She needed him, she wanted him...now. She had held back for so long.

She couldn't stand it any longer.

As Bobby's hand found the small of her back, she leaned forward into his body.

Before he knew it, the woman of his dreams, his partner, was kissing him—hard and passionate. He was kissing her equally so, taking her fully in his arms and pulling her flush against his body. He couldn't control some parts of his body, and Alex quickly realized how much he wanted her.

It was perfect. Alex felt his tongue probing glide along her bottom lip, begging for entrance. Willingly, she granted him passage and her tongue met his. That was when she remembered where they were.

Everything came to a sudden halt.

Bobby looked confusedly at the woman in his arms.

"Bobby, we can't. Not here—"

Bobby quickly backed away, putting a professional space in between them. What the hell had he been thinking? He had just endangered their partnership, and now she was done with him. She would leave him for sure now.

"Bobby—"

"I'm sorry, Eames," he said, angry and hating himself for what he had done.

"Don't you dare say that!" she said, her own frustration sparking her anger.

"Eames—"

"Detectives!" came the distinct voice of Lee. Both detectives turned to see the approaching man in a black tuxedo. Quickly, Alex turned to Bobby.

"Please, we need to talk about this, but now isn't the right time. Please understand that that is what I meant by earlier," she pleaded, her honey-brown eyes gazing hopefully into his, the slight fear he saw in them breaking his heart. Without reluctance, he nodded allowing one more affectionate touch of her arm before Lee was by their side.

"I'm sorry I am late," he said, grimacing slightly. Alex and Bobby smiled, they had kind of grown a bit attached to this man. They might even call him a friend.

"That's fine, we just got here ourselves," Alex answered, glancing at Bobby. She couldn't stop the pink blush that crawled up her neck and into her cheeks. Bobby seemed to be the only one to notice, and he smiled affectionately at this.

Lee did, however, notice this change in the big detective.

"Yīqiè dōu shùnlì ma?" Lee asked with a smirk. He knew by now that the big detective spoke his tongue of Chinese, yet he never spoke it around his partner. Goren had explained that he didn't want his partner to feel out of the loop.

"Wánshàn," Bobby answered. Whether it was a lie or not, he did not know. Bobby couldn't let it trouble him at the moment though. This was important.

Alex looked up at her partner, a hand on her hip and a crooked smile set on her lips.

"I should have known..." she said, shaking her head at him. Bobby laughed at her, and shook his head back at her.

"Shall we?" he asked, seeing the throng of people had stopped at the pulpit set on a stage surrounded by thousands of years' worth of historical artifacts. He offered his arm to her.

"We shall," she smiled shyly, almost nervously. Was she scared to touch him again?

Eames couldn't be scared of anything, Bobby joked with himself.

The three finally descended the grand staircase and stopped on the outer edge of the audience.

On the stage, standing at the pulpit was Consul Han.

"Good evening, everybody. Tonight is the grand opening of the Museum o Chinese Culture," he said, smiling weakly. Alex's heart went out to the man as he fought on in his speech. "These artifacts will aid in reminding us of our history, and in teaching others of our culture in which we have pride in. This wonderful building of learning will teach the history and wonder to our...children..."

Alex glanced at Bobby as the man's voice cracked, and he was unable to continue. That was when a tall man with greying hair and a gold pocket watch hanging from his suit, stepped forward.

With care as if handling an upset child, the older man took Consul Han by the shoulders and led him to a seat away from the pulpit. He, however, returned to stand tall behind it.

"Consul Han has remained strong through this unsettling and grievous time. For my friend, I will continue his opening speech," the man said in a thick British accent.

Lee leaned over to Bobby, and whispered, "That is Ambassador Fergus. He is very into Chinese culture. He has a large collection of artifacts so I'm told."

Bobby nodded, staring thoughtfully at the British man. His thoughts began to run wild, and his gut told him to be wary of the man. Looking down at Eames to share his hunch, he saw that she was focused on the food bars of white cloth and magnificent trays. At each stationed bar, there were chefs dressed in white.

"Bobby," she whispered, moving closer to him in order to see around the considerably large man that stood between them and the food bars.

Following her gaze, Bobby saw whom she was looking at. He was dressed in a little white chef's outfit beneath a tall white hat that was nearly the color of his scar.

Juntoa was here.

Looking up at the control room, she saw the looming figure of Agent Corey through the window. They had agents everywhere in there, she realized as she scanned the area.

"How the hell have they not seen him yet? Didn't they get a description from Ross? One that we gave," she added, shaking her head.

"They are trying to protect the Consul," Bobby said, seeing the many agents surrounding the stage and podium.

"Well, the danger is right there," she said unbelievably, gesturing towards the blonde Chinese man.

"Eames," Bobby said, watching warily as Fergus made eye contact with Juntoa. "I think the bigger danger is up there, at the podium."

"The British Ambassador?" Eames asked.

"It is possible," Lee jumped in.

"We need to get everyone out. If anyone stays, they've got nothing to lose," Bobby said, looking between Alex and Lee.

"Be prepared to take cover," Lee said suddenly, stalking away and hopping onto a stone slab that was a base for a large statue.

"Lee!" Alex hissed as he walked away.

"Attention! Excuse me! May I have your attention, please!" Lee loudly declared. "We have received a threat on this building, and we ask that everyone calmly exit the building."

The crowd stared at Lee for a moment before slowly shuffling away. Lee sighed irritably.

"Hurry! Hurry!" he said urgently, clapping his hands together. Finally a surge of people frantically tried to escape the building.

Alex looked up at the control room, seeing Corey talking angrily into a radio.

"Bobby, he knows we are here," she said, but when she looked to her right her partner was drawing his gun and walking towards Juntoa. She quickly followed suit, pulling her skirt up and unholstering her gun from a strap around her thigh. The guests were finally cleared out, as well as Fergus and the Consul. All that remained were the Chinese chefs, FBI agents, and Juntoa.

"Juntoa! Hands where I can see them!" Bobby yelled, his gun trained on the criminal.

Juntoa smiled wryly, the dumb cops. From below the table, he withdrew a large gun that would do a lot of damage.

Before the FBI agents could draw their guns, every Chinese chef in the building hopped onto their bar and took the nearest FBI agent to hold a gunpoint.

"Put your weapons down before I kill every cop in this place!" Juntoa yelled angrily, pointing the gun at Bobby's head. A man came running into the room, dressed in black instead of white and he carried a small device. Putting his hands up in surrender, Bobby cautiously took a step.

"I will start with you!" Juntoa yelled.

"Calm down, you don't—"

"Don't talk to me, cop. Do you know what this is? It is a remote to a bomb with C4. That bomb is attached to the little girl," Juntoa smirked, holding the remote in the air with his thumb hovering merely centimeters away from it.

"Nî bùxiâng zhèyàng zuò, tā zhîshì yīgè xiâo nühái!" Bobby said. Alex didnt understand a word said, but he said it as calmly as he could. The American detective's ability to speak his language, surprised Juntoa. Not enough to freeze his antics.

"Tíng zhî! Wô huì chuī nî de nâodai!" he threatened. He then gave a sanguine smile as he looked over at Eames. "Hùozhê nî gèng yuànyì wô chuīle tā? Zhè jiāng shì yīzhông chîrû, zhèyàng dì mêijîng bèi pòhuài, bingqiê fèiyong zìlî. Tā shì zúyî ràng rènhé rén huànxiâng..."

Alex didn't like the look Juntoa gave her, and she could feel Bobby tense up beside her. He was very angry, but for what she didn't know. It had to do with her though...

"Nî tā mā de," Bobby spat, his anger boiling over.

"Juntoa!" a firm voice called, subduing the angry Chinese mobster. Everyone looked to see Ambassador Fergus as he walked slowly from behind Juntoa, resting a hand on the mobster's shoulder.

"I suggest you put down your weapons, Detectives," Fergus said, walking towards Goren and Eames. Lee was no where in sight. Slowly, Bobby and Alex let their guns fall to their fingers, hanging dormant with their hands up. "Good..."

"Ambassador...this is very below you," Alex said, her eyes filled with a deep loathing for the man. The older man's eyes turned to her, and an uneasiness settled in her stomach.

"Well, you see, Detective, what you are looking at right now was all mine. But when Hong Kong had become its own governor, it was taken away from me. Millions' worth of artifacts," Fergus said, as if it explained it all.

"And so you kidnapped a little girl, because there are only three things you love in life: money, power, and of course Chinese relics..." Bobby said calmly, gesturing around them.

Fergus frowned for a moment, but he slowly eased into a chuckle. That chuckle escalated and the man was practically hysterical.

"I like you, Detectives. Had the circumstances been different, I would have invited you for drinks," Fergus laughed.

"Hmm...tea and crumpets with a criminal," Alex snarked, getting irritated in the position they currently were in. She didn't favor this end of the rope.

"Your partner is very charming," Fergus said, turning to Bobby. "Now, if you will all excuse me, I—"

Suddenly Lee jumped out from behind Juntoa, and he wrapped his arms around the man, reaching for the remote. Juntoa's weapon began firing off rounds, and soon every other gun in the room was going off as well.

Alex and Bobby quickly took cover behind a large stone slab. Alex looked for the remote frantically, hoping desperately that Lee had knocked it from Juntoa's hands.

Spotting it she turned to Bobby, leaning back against the rock as they loaded their guns.

"Damn, two gunfights in two days," Alex said, shaking her head.

"I'm just glad you are on my side," Bobby teased, peaking around the corner of the slab and firing.

It was true, Alex had a great shot. The best shot in the department, and she was putting it to use.

"Bobby, that man that brought the remote..."

"Yeah?"

"He went out that way. Please don't ask, just cover for me," she pleaded, meeting his gaze. She saw the worry in his eyes, and the hesitance, but she knew he would do it. They always had each others' backs.

Nodding, Bobby watched carefully as Alex found her way towards the door the man had exited. Fear clenched his stomach, and he watched with panic as the one woman he loved disappeared from sight.

 **A/N: Man, that was a lot of translating...ugh, it probably isn't even right. Haha. Oh well. Any way, the conversation won't be revealed until later. Hehe, I mean I can't keep you from looking it up, but like I said before it probably isn't even correct. You will find out what was said, but only if Alex is able to. And she has her means of getting Bobby to talk. Hope you guys enjoyed, and I have absolutely loved the reviews you have been leaving. Shout out to sell, whom reminded me of Bobby's *many* talents. Thanks to everyone who left comments! Keep them coming cuz they are inspiration! Haha.**

 **~Love**


	5. Above All Else

Chapter 5~ _Above All Else_

Alex carefully pulled the exit door closed behind her as she slipped from the building where gunshots could be heard echoing in the large canopy building. The night was dark and the streets were empty, all except for the beams of light showering from the street lamps, penetrating the blackness. Looking left and right, Alex searched for signs of anyone.

In an alley a ways away, she saw two people leaning against the brick walls of the buildings next to the museum. Being on the streets at night reminded her of her years working Vice.

Taking a few steps down the sidewalk, she spotted a parking lot with a small little station of some sort inside it. Peaking out from behind the station was the tail end of a white van, the exhaust billowing in the air.

Quickly, she crossed the stretch between the museum and the van. Brushing her hair from her face, she smoothed her dress and began walking around the station, cautiously.

When the van came into view, so did the Chinese man that led her there. Surprised, the two bumped into each other. Alex noticed that he wasn't much taller than she was.

"Oh my gosh, I am terribly sorry," she gushed, hiding her gun behind her back. "I was just out getting some air when I bumped into you..."

With the guard caught off guard, out of nowhere Alex swung the butt of her gun at his head and knocked him out cold. Taking a breath, Alex nodded to herself as she double checked that he was down for the count. Hearing a squeak from inside the back of the van, Alex quickly yanked the heavy double doors open.

They revealed a small figure dressed in a school uniform, tied to a chair with a sack over her head. Draped on her body was a black vest with wires and blinking lights on it, sending alarm bells through Alex's head. Carefully, Alex slipped the sack off of the girl's head and a sweet, round face with long black hair appeared. Alex smiled warmly at the little girl.

"Hi. Soo Wong?" she asked, though she knew this was the girl. Slowly the girl nodded, her eyes shining in the street lights' glow. "I'm Detective Alex Eames from the NYPD. I'm going to help you out of here, okay?"

"No! No!" the girl cried frantically. "I heard them say it...would explode!"

Alex put her hands up to show that she wasn't touching the vest.

"It's okay. We will get it off you safely. Don't be scared, sweetheart," she spoke softly, soothing Soo Wong.

Soo Wong watched as the pretty blonde detective began thinking of a plan. Judging by how the woman treated her, she knew she could absolutely trust her.

Alex looked around the van, trying to think of a way to get it off when in reality it could explode any second if Bobby and Lee were unable to keep the remote from Juntoa.

That thought alone snapped a solution into her mind.

"Soo Wong, I am going to untie you from the chair, but I won't touch the vest. Then you and I will get in the van. Okay?"

Soo Wong regarded the plan cautiously.

"Then where will we go?" she asked. Alex thought over her next words carefully.

"We are going to get that off of you, and help your father," she said, smiling encouragingly.

"Okay..."

Immediately, Alex's agile fingers began untying knots. She then hopped into the back of the van and helped Soo Wong up. Turning to go out the back, Soo Wong was stopped by Alex's hand and soft smile.

"This way," she said, leading her to a door that led into the cab of the van. Quickly the two climbed into the seats, a hard feat in a dress.

Alex started the van, the motor roaring to life, and she peeled out of the parking lot.

Heading towards the museum, she decided her point of entrance.

If she remembered correctly, there was a garage door for unloading access.

.:(0):.

Bobby constantly checked the door that Alex had disappeared from, and each time he was disappointed and his worry grew.

She should have been back by now.

Just then, a crashing sound could be heard coming from a hallway. Everyone stopped their gunfire, and stared at the direction it was coming from. All of a sudden, from a gift shop window, a large white van crashed into the large room. Two of Juntoa's men jumped out of the way, but only one got away. The unlucky one bounced off the hood, but scrambled away.

Bobby stared in surprise at the intruding van, searching for the driver. He swore he saw a flip of blonde hair as someone exited the cab.

.:(0):.

Alex knew she shouldn't do it...but how else was she going to get in without getting shot at. Leaning her head back, she sighed. It was bad enough that she was driving through the halls in this hunking van. Looking over at Soo Wong, she was greeted with a small smile before the girl turned her dark head to look at the showcasing walls of the museum.

"Hold on, sweetheart," she ordered softly, checking the seat belts. Confusion was written all over Soo Wong's face but she grabbed the door handle securely.

Taking a breath, Alex saw the back door for a gift shop, and she made her decision. Gunning it, she stomped the pedal to the floor and steered for the wall. The girl beside her squeaked and let out a sharp scream upon impact, flinging the two against their seats. The wall gave way, and the van pulled through.

Alex stared at the front of the car, confused as to why the airbags didn't inflate. Well, we know now that the airbags don't work in this dump truck, Eames thought to herself.

Knowing that all eyes were on them, Alex quickly unbuckled her seat belt and Soo Wong's, helping the girl up and herding her into the back of the van.

As they hopped from the back of the van and onto the marble floor, Alex took in the damage she had caused the building.

Damn, she thought with a wince. That's gonna make a large dent in my paycheck...

With her gun in her hand, and Soo Wong's smaller hand in the other, she peaked around the corner of the van.

"Just follow me, sweetheart, and you'll be fine," she whispered gently, glancing at the girl for a moment, understanding in the large brown eyes that looked up at her.

Here goes nothing...

"Juntoa!"

Bobby looked up at the sound of his partner's voice, his heart fluttering in his chest. She was alright.

She had also gained the attention of every agent and mobster in the room.

Juntoa, with the remote in his hand, listened calmly, regarding the van easily and without worry. Until Eames stepped out with the girl at her side, sporting the bomb that could blow the entire building to pieces.

"I think I have something of yours," Alex said, walking slowly to stand beside the van. The girl clung to her hand, scared and lightly pulling against her to go back to the van. The soft look that Alex gave her calmed her nerves quickly, and she soon stood confidently beside the woman detective. In fact, Soo Wong pretended she was a police officer as well, puffing out her chest.

"Go ahead and push the button!" Soo Wong cried out, stepping forward.

Behind a large statue with two FBI agents, Consul Han nearly passed out from relief at the sight of his daughter safe, but worry clutched his heart at the position she was in.

"You heard the girl," Alex said indifferently, covertly searching the room for Bobby. When her eyes landed on him, she saw the intense look in his stare. He watched her carefully, concern but understanding in his features. Quickly and quietly, Bobby began making his way towards the van. Crouching behind a statue of a Chinese warrior, he glanced up at the control room. As he did three shots went off, and disrupted everyone. Every head in the room ducked, and Bobby launched himself at Alex and the little girl as hands went to their guns and shots were fired.

Both the woman and the girl were taken by surprise as he scooped them up and shoved them behind the van, ending in a compromising position with the beautiful detective. Bobby's breath hitched as he realized Alex was pressed against the van, between his body and the white vehicle.

When Alex felt the strong arms wrap around her waist and send her backwards, she let out a gasp of surprise. She wasn't allowed to catch her breath as Bobby shoved her up against the van, pressing their bodies together.

"I need to make a call," Bobby said suddenly, backing away from Alex and the van, and whipping out his cellphone. Alex stared in shock at her partner, marveling at how good that felt and how much it had affected her.

Turning to Soo Wong, she distracted herself.

"Here, sweetheart," she said, lifting the girl up onto the bed of the van. Brushing the dark hair from Soo Wong's face, Alex began studying the bomb, listening to Bobby's call.

With a snap, Bobby closed his phone and came closer to the two. Bending at the waist, he looked first at Soo Wong and then at the vest.

"Soo Wong, that was my friend from the bomb squad. The NYPD are unable to get into the building, but my friend is going to call back to instruct me how to proceed in taking off the vest. Okay?" he asked softly, warming both the girl and Alex.

"Soo Wong!" a voice said as a body slammed into the van, a sweating Lee leaned against the vehicle. Alex and Bobby watched as the girl flung herself at Lee, but gingerly pulled away as she remembered the bomb. Bobby's phone began buzzing and he quickly flipped it open.

"Yeah?" he asked before it was even to his mouth. He nodded to himself, and feeling Alex's eyes on him he sought her gaze. He smiled comfortingly, though his Alex appeared strong and confident, just like everyday at work in any dangerous situation. She is so brave, he thought offhandedly.

"Ok...yeah," Bobby stepped closer to Soo Wong, looking at the bomb. "There is a red wire over a blue, and then a green below those two...yeah. Eames, get the wire cutters from that box over there," Bobby ordered, pointing to a tool box in the van. He was momentarily distracted as Eames climbed into the van, the slits of her dress hiking up her smooth, toned legs. With a gulp, he had to ask his friend to repeat what he had said.

Grabbing the wire cutters, Alex turned and sat on the bed of the van beside Soo Wong before slipping to the marble floor. She handed them to Bobby, and stood watching him intently.

"Red, blue, green," Bobby repeated, nodding to himself again."Ok...yeah...alright."

Bobby moved closer to Soo Wong, whom looked more nervous by the second. The girl looked up at the big detective with shining eyes full of worry.

"It's ok, Soo Wong," Lee said, holding the girl's smaller hand in his. The girl looked at the faces around her, and finally nodded, feeling just a little better. She sure hoped the guy on the other end of the phone knew what he was doing.

"Ok, I am going to do it now," Bobby finally said, glancing at Alex who nodded. Poising the wire cutters above the assortment of wires, the nose of the tool leaned towards the green. Hovering, everyone held their breaths. Bobby could feel Alex's small hand slip beneath his suit and rest on his back. With one final breath, Bobby squeezed the wore cutters and the green wire snapped.

Nothing happened.

Breaths came out in unison like a gust of wind, and Lee waisted no time in taking off the vest. As soon as she was free of the vest, Soo Wong wrapped her arms around Bobby. She quickly pulled Alex into her small embrace as well.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she repeated again and again.

Alex and Bobby glanced at each other with a smile.

But all wasn't well yet. In the control room, three FBI agents lay on the ground bleeding from holes in their chests. Three-fourths of the money was gone from the room, taken by the headman, the ringleader, British Ambassador Albert Fergus.

Ambassador Fergus checked his pocket watch as he scaled the pipes and rafters of the large building's highest floor, the maintenance floor that overlooked the museum-now-turned-battlefield. His chopper was due in 10 minutes.

From below, a watchful eye spotted the ambassador climbing the ladders up higher.

"Fergus," Lee said, pointing up at the ceiling. Alex and Bobby looked up, and sure enough the man was climbing like an old, greying monkey through the pipes and ladders. "Take Soo Wong to the Consul!" And without another word, Lee ran to pursue Fergus.

Soo Wong moved closer to Bobby as he searched for her father, even as the gunfight ensued. Alex didn't find the Consul, but she found the bleach blonde sleezeball Juntoa. Her hand on her gun, she leaned into Bobby.

"Take her, Bobby," she said, looking him in the eyes. Bobby looked at her confusedly, but when he looked towards the stairs to the control room he saw Juntoa and understood. He understood that she couldn't be allowed to follow.

"No, Eames. I will go. Stay here with Soo Wong," he instructed, lightly pushing her towards the girl. Alex frowned, shaking her head.

"Bobby, I-"

"Alex!" Bobby said forcefully, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Please, just trust me on this."

Slowly and very reluctantly, Alex nodded though she was not happy about it at all.

He wasn't sure what possessed him to do it; maybe the way she pouted—Eames never pouted—or maybe it was the way she looked after their battle—windblown and the sexy badass she was. Whatever made him do it, he found his lips on hers.

Had there not been an audience and he didn't have a job to do, he knew he would have been there longer and probably would have gone farther had they been some place else.

Sadly and frustratingly quickly, the kiss came to an end all too soon. Before Alex could even force her eyes open to look up at him, Bobby had turned and was quickly making his way towards the control room.

Suddenly remembering the little girl, Alex turned her attention to Soo Wong and protecting her. Loading her gun, she began firing off rounds.

In the control room staircase, Bobby held his gun poised as he moved quickly and fluently up the stairs and into the room. Three bodies were sprawled on the floor, and the one moving being was stuffing money rolled into a large black briefcase.

"Juntoa!" Bobby warned, his gun trained on him. The Chinese man spun on his heel with his gun pointed at Bobby. He hadn't heard the big cop coming.

"Put your gun down," Bobby ordered. Juntoa smiled wryly.

"I hope you said goodbye to your girl," Juntoa said quietly, his eyes narrowed in evil amusement.

In the midst of the fight, Alex kept an eye on the control room. Her heart sped up with each passing minute, second.

Suddenly, above every other shots echoing in the large building, she heard a single, lone shot ring from above. Worry pierced her heart, she hoped to God that Bobby was the one that had fired, not the one who had been fired at.

Looking above, even higher than Bobby's location, Alex saw the goose chase that was going on in the ceiling. Seeing that the mobsters were thinning out, Alex finally made a decision.

"Soo Wong, hide in there," she said, pointing in the rubble the van had made. "I have to help Bob-Detective Goren. You'll be safe if you stay there, okay sweetheart?"

Bravely the girl nodded and quickly retreated to her hiding place, happy to be away from the fighting. As soon as she knew Soo Wong was safe, Alex quickly made her way towards the control room.

Suddenly, something fell on her head. Ducking in surprise, Alex retrieved it from atop her hair and glanced at it. Money? Looking up, she saw dollar bills fluttering about. Lee was hanging from the railing above her, and Fergus was hitting him with his bag once full of money. Pointing her gun towards them, she fired to the right. She knew it wouldn't make it up there very accurately, but it would distract Fergus enough for Lee to get up.

Seeing that Lee was back in the fight, she quickly continued up the stairs. She was going too fast she wasn't able to stop herself from running into the figure in the door way. The figure enveloped her, muscular arms wrapping around her petite body. And soft lips roughly met hers, and she was able to relax into the man.

"Bobby!" she gasped as they pulled away for air. She felt the wetness gathering in her eyes. He was alive...and he had just kissed her—she was getting too used to this after only so many times in one day.

"I'm fine, Alex," he assured her. Alex looked up warily, searching for any regret or sadness in Bobby's eyes.

"Did...did you?"

"No...I didn't kill him. Damn it, I wanted to though. He talked so...disgustingly towards you and so suggestively...but he is shot in the shoulder and bleeding," Bobby answered, loosening his grip on her as he urged her to move down the stairs. "I used a tourniquet on him and Agent Corey is still alive as well, I need to get an FBI agent up there fast."

"Bobby!" Alex gasped, pulling Bobby towards her as Fergus' briefcase and a crowbar fell from above them. Holding her tightly to him, Bobby looked up at the building's ceiling. Lee was barely hanging from a pipe, with nothing to catch him but the marble floor if he fell. He was wearing the black vest, but Fergus had fallen from the edge of the railing and grabbed onto it. The vest seams were ripping, and Fergus was slipping.

"Oh, no," Alex muttered, moving to step forward but suddenly realizing there want anything they could do. She looked around frantically, so did Bobby. But it was no use, they heard the rip of the vest and the man screaming as he fell to his death, falling into a fountain with a tidal wave of a splash. Alex couldn't help it as she looked away as she saw the man in mid air, just before he landed. She turned her impassive face into Bobby's chest as she heard the splash.

She knew the impact had to have killed him.

Bobby put a hand on her shoulder, but he was looking up in panic at Lee.

"Hold on, Lee!" Bobby yelled, looking around for something to use.

"I can't hold on—ah!—any longer..." he grunted, his fingers slipping ever so slightly.

Alex and Bobby looked up in unison, spotting the long, large red banners that hung from the ceiling.

Silently they agreed and quickly set into motion, grabbing one and together they pulled it over to where Lee hung. They were alerted by his sudden screaming, and they ran even fast, making it just in time to catch their friend. Holding tightly to the end of the fabric, they allowed Lee to slide down the banner like a huge slipping slide, but they didn't have time to think about the landing.

"Watch out, watch out, watch out!" Lee screamed at them, waving his arms. But if they did, he would fall hard, straight down.

So they stayed, and braced for impact.

Lee hit them both, and they all ended up sprawled on the ground. Poor Alex took most of the brunt of the fall, Lee landing on her.

"Ugh..." she moaned, bringing her hands to her head. This had to be the worst position she had been in in a long time. Lee looked up at the ceiling, seeing how far he had fallen. Wide eyed, he looked back at Bobby and Alex. Quickly he began peppering Alex's cheeks with kisses, much to her embarrassment and irritation.

Being the tough woman cop she was, she shoved him off of her—hard and mean.

"What the hell are you doing?!" she screamed at him, wiping at her face. Bobby merely chuckled, which wasn't the best idea. He received a punch in the gut. But a beautiful smile as well.

Unable to resist, he planted a quick kiss on her lips before the NYPD and FBI units barged into the building.

Alex smiled sweetly at him as the three of them got up from the floor, never taking eyes off of each other.

With a light smirk and a wink, Alex turned to the entering units to find their captain.

At the moment, Bobby could have cared less. He just knew that something was changing—something had changed—and he loved it.

 **A/N: Well, life has been hell as of late, haha. So sorry about the looooooong wait, I hope you guys are still enjoying this at least. Please review and tell me what you think!**

 **~Love**


	6. Better Than Fine

Chapter 6~ _Better Than Fine_

It was past midnight by the time Bobby got home, entering his apartment sleepily. Everything had taken its toll on him; the adrenaline, the combat, the long night, the stress, the damn press that had shown up, and the ambulances that had arrived to take care of injuries. He had escaped with only scrapes or bruises, and all he wanted at the moment was a drink and a shower.

After a warm shower, the bathroom steaming and looking like a sauna, Bobby quickly got dressed in a t-shirt and sweats. He was still drying his hair with his towel, rubbing the cloth back and forth over his wet curls, when he heard a knock on the door. Walking out of his room, Bobby squinted his eyes at the door.

What the hell would someone want at this hour?

He could think of only one person that he would allow in at this time of night. Peaking through the peep hole, Bobby saw silky blonde hair, warm brown eyes, and a very desirable warm, slender body standing outside his apartment. His breath caught. Why would Eames be outside his door at one in the morning? Unless...

Outside Bobby's apartment, Alex waited patiently, sniffing slightly in the cold building. Her hair was just barely dried from her shower, and she was wrapped in her jacket. Lifting her hand to knock again, she hoped he wasn't sleeping. To Bobby's amusement, she jumped when he swung the door open.

"Alex...What are you doing here?" he asked with a pleasant smile that she gladly returned. She glanced down in embarrassment when she opened her mouth to answer.

"I...um...I was wondering...if we could...talk?" she asked, pulling her jacket closer around her. Bobby smacked himself mentally when he realized he hadn't invited her in.

"Oh, yeah...sorry, come in..." he said, stepping aside for her to come in. He closed the door behind her and turned to see her standing almost awkwardly next to the kitchen counter.

"You want something to drink?" he asked, putting his hands in the pockets of his sweats.

"No thanks, Bobby," she said with a small smile. Bobby noticed that she was nervously fidgeting, wringing her hands very discreetly. He didn't even know if she knew she was doing it.

"So...what do we need to talk about?" he asked, confused and starting to worry. Alex was never the nervous one.

"Us..." she answered, not meeting his eyes. "During this case...everything got very...muddled and complicated, and I don't know where we stand..."

Bobby raised his brows, thinking over the things that had changed between them. With a soft smile, he stepped closer to his nervous partner.

"I didn't think it was that complicated...it was quite easy, actually," he said, looking down at her with affection in his eyes. Alex looked up in confusion at his comment, meeting his eyes and seeing everything he was feeling in their dark depths.

"What do you mean?" she asked, shaking her head slightly. Bobby raised his hands and rested them on her shoulders, letting them slowly slide down her arms.

"Alex, I mean that it's very easy to...touch you..." he said softly in a quiet voice. He heard as Alex's breathing quickened. "And to...be with you...to..."

Alex's breath hitched as he leaned down, dropping a soft kiss on the corner of her lips, mostly on her cheek.

"...to kiss you..."

Bobby drew her closer, his hands sliding to her back and down to her hips. He slowly leaned in again, his lips gently landing on the soft milky skin of her neck. He heard her audible gasp, and he felt her small hands gripping his t-shirt. This drew him to kiss her neck again, his lips slowly creating a trail of fire as they moved beneath her jaw, behind her ear, and down to her collarbone.

"...to love you..."

Reluctantly, he pulled away from her to look into her eyes. They stared widely up at him, various emotions swimming in their depths; confusion, surprise, fear, shock, and most of all a kindling desire.

"Bobby..." she whispered in a soft voice that portrayed every emotion she was feeling.

"I love you, Alexandra Eames," he declared in his gentle, loving way as he cupped her face in one of his large hands. He looked into her shining eyes, lit with love and pure joy.

"I love you, too...Robert Goren," she added with a laugh full of genuine happiness. With that, she pulled him closer and stood on her tippy toes, crashing her lips into his. He felt her clawing at his clothing, desperate for him to be closer to her body. She felt his hands slip lower down her body to her firm behind, lightly squeezing as he lifted her off the floor. She immediately wrapped her legs around his waist, letting out a moan as he began walking towards his room.

He didn't know what was going to happen, how far they would go, how safe this was; but the radiant smile that she gave him assured that all would be well. He grinned his love struck grin, leaning in to kiss Alex's smiling lips.

Yes, sir. They would be just fine...better than fine really.

THE END

 **A/N: And that concludes THE UNEXPECTED after such a long wait. I hope you all enjoyed it, I enjoyed writing and can't wait to bring you more CI stories! The smoothest story I have going now is ONE'S OBSESSION, with two others in slower progression. Check them out! I hope you guys enjoy my stories and I thank you for reading them!**

 **~Love**


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